Pacers poised to unlock extra trade capital after 2026 draft
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The Indiana Pacers will not make a selection in this month’s NBA Draft, but the franchise could soon have additional first-round picks available for trades.
Indiana owes its 2026 first-rounder to the Los Angeles Clippers from the Ivica Zubac deal, yet the team still controls first-round selections in 2027, 2028, 2030, 2031 and 2032. Under the NBA’s Stepien Rule, clubs cannot be without first-round picks in consecutive future drafts, so those later choices cannot be traded until the 2026 draft wraps up later this month. When that event ends, the Pacers will regain the right to include more of their distant firsts in trade discussions.
“We have some flexibility,” president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said after the draft lottery. “We have five of our next six years of first-round draft picks.”
The organization has already demonstrated a willingness to part with draft capital, acquiring Zubac this year and trading for Pascal Siakam earlier. Team officials believe the current core, led by Tyrese Haliburton and Siakam, keeps the championship window open.
The Pacers have not made a first-round selection since 2023, leaving a thinner pipeline of prospects. Whether they use their post-draft flexibility to add another veteran, secure younger talent or simply retain their picks remains undecided.
Source: Hoops Wire
